Sectarian Clashes Displace 150,000 in Southern Syria, Expose Military Fragmentation

Recent sectarian violence in Syria’s Suwayda province, dominated by Druze and Bedouin communities, has resulted in over 1,300 deaths and widespread humanitarian crises, with hospitals overwhelmed and shortages of essential supplies. The clashes, which began after a Druze merchant was kidnapped, escalated into the worst violence since the fall of Bashar al-Assad and drew intervention from both Syrian government forces and Israeli strikes supporting the Druze. Syrian government forces have been accused of summary executions and siding with Bedouin militias against Druze fighters, exacerbating sectarian tensions and destabilizing the region. This violence has complicated ongoing efforts to integrate the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into the national army, as the lack of a unified and transparent military structure and government refusal to allow the SDF to retain weapons raise concerns about national unity and security. The SDF insists on political recognition, military preservation, and federalism, while Damascus rejects these demands, viewing them as threats to Syria’s territorial integrity. The situation remains fragile, with fears that failure to resolve these issues could lead to further military confrontations, especially given Turkey’s hostility toward the SDF.